Category Archives: Accessories

Apple is paving the way in Wearable Health Tech: Blood-Pressure Monitor and Thermometer in the Works

New features in the pipeline along with the new iteration of the hit timepiece

The next version of the Apple Watch  (Series 7) is expected to be released in the coming weeks, and the WSJ reported that the company is currently working on additional health-related features and improvements for the smartwatch. While it is not certain that these to be included in Series 7, there is no doubt that they are coming, either as a software or hardware update.

Apple is already known for many of its current health conscious features, including the well known Exercise rings and Fitness App, as well as the ability to check your heart rate for irregularity with its electrocardiogram and check your Blood Oxygen levels with a Series 6.

One of the new capabilities that may be coming to your Apple Watch will include measuring blood-pressure which would prompt a user when their BP levels are too high (or increasing in rate). This can influence behavior, diet or give you a warning to seek medical attention is the reading is extreme, for example.

When Apple does roll out this feature, it could be a game changer (or rather a life-saver), as hundreds of millions of Americans suffer from high blood pressure and / or hypertension. The condition leads to almost half a million deaths a year according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.  

Another feature said to be in the works is targeted towards females, a thermometer to help with fertility planning. Bloomberg also reported earlier of Apple’s additional health goals to add blood-sugar sensors to help those with diabetes monitor glucose levels. 

A useful, even sometimes addictive health aid, which is a good thing

Those who have an Apple Watch can likely attest to its effectiveness in promoting health and well being, particularly around exercise and weight control. The recent addition of of medical features, that in some cases have directly contributed to lives being saved, appear to be a high priority at the giant tech company.

Although it is tantalizing to speculate on the incredible features yet to be added to the device, it will take time for the technological innovations and solutions to be developed in order to make these possible.

Apple has some very ambitious improvements they want to add to its Watch, however there is no official timeline that has been announced and most likely will not be expected before 2022. 

Related Video:

Recent Lynxotic stories about Apple:


Find books on Music, Movies & Entertainment and many other topics at our sister site: Cherrybooks on Bookshop.org

Enjoy Lynxotic at Apple News on your iPhone, iPad or Mac.

Lynxotic may receive a small commission based on any purchases made by following links from this page

iOS 15: It’s not just about the new Weather Animations, there’s a lot more

For what seems like a long time many of us have been living inside our iPhone, immersed in a metaverse of our digital lives.

And the deeper into Apple’s walled garden we are submerged, the more monumental the yearly OS upgrades become. That’s because, when you are in a digital life, we’ll, lots of things are worse than the “real” world. The sensual experience is built of fractions of the full sensory bandwidth of life.

But there’s one thing about the metaverse, the fact that, since it’s artificial and human engineered, it can, and does, improve.

In the case of Apple’s universe, the yearly upgrades and constant, sometimes nearly imperceptible changes in a thousand different parameters add together, over time, and suddenly, the world comes alive with vibrant, super sensual satisfaction …

Sure, the weather animations just got sent to a 3rd convolution level of better-ness, that’s true. But add this to all the thousands of better feelings and deeper interactions with yourself and the spirit of ourselves, and you will find: the future

Photo credit: Apple

WWDC 2021 was a pure upgrade fest with a lot of detail to sift through

We are in the middle of our ongoing coverage of the Apple event and all that was revealed. There are so many features and so many important details and interdependent uses for this features that it can be more easily digested in bites.

What we are witnessing is the growing interdependence and interoperability of iOS 15, iPad OS 15 and macOS 12 Monterey, particularly with the built in apple apps they all have built in.

Safari, though still with slight variations between the three OSs, is becoming more powerful everywhere, FaceTime got a huge upgrade in the new systems, and utilities connected to iCloud such as the Find My network are also extensively revamped.

While some find the sheer width and breath of Apple’s hardware, software and services conceptually off-putting, it is, at this early stage of the monumental changes that are being wrought by Apple Silicon, a wonder to behold how all the various products and underlying software for those products is evolving in a way that is constant and deep.

As put forth in articles published by Lynxotic years ago the changes that are underway are vast and were conceived and put into motion based on Steve Jobs’ core concepts for the future of Apple many years ago. And Tim Cook and the rest of Apple have not deviated from that vision, in fact are reaping benefits on behalf of users that could barely be imagined a decade ago.

One bite we’ve started to delve into is the dual and interdependent features from macOS Monterey; Airplay to Mac and Universal control. It turns out that compete interoperability for Airplay to Mac is still in the future, the list of the various models and vintages that it functions on is as follows:

  • 2018 or later MacBook Pro or MacBook Air
  • a 2019 or later iMac or Mac Pro
  • an iMac Pro
  • the 2020 Mac mini

As you can see this is a fairly exclusive list. What is most conspicuously missing is the possibility to use and older mac, such as a 2018 27” 5k iMac to take advantage of the beautiful screen.

Universal Control, meanwhile appears to work with most devices that run on iPadOS 15 and macOS Monterey. It allows you to a single mouse and keyboard and flow from ‌iPad‌ to Mac and back, pretty much as you would imagine using the cursor and keyboard for either, and, thankfully there is no setup required.

FaceTime just got a Facelift

FaceTime’s big jump ahead is somewhat more complex since the iPhone, iPad (various models of both) and the mac each have a UX and screen size that varies, as well as different computing advantages. One interesting note on the various technical enhancements, pretty much across the board from what was announced at WWDC 2021, M1 chips and Apple Silicon based devices get the biggest boost from all the new capabilities.

Rather than being a marketing ploy, at least so far there’s no evidence of that kind of approach, this is an organic by product of the underlying “big picture” goal – to unify the experience and potential of the three device categories even as they cross pollinate one-another.

All the various, and gradually hard to list, OS flavors, macOS 12 Monterey, iOS 15, iPadOS 15, tvOS 15, watchOS 8 and all the various accessories that benefit from the upgrades such as AirPods pro spatial audio, HomePod mini liaison with Apple TV 4k and tvOS 15, as well as SharePlay where FaceTime can allow multiple users to share streaming audio or video content for a synchronized experience.

Please stay tuned for the many articles to come that will further dive into the changes and improvements that are on the way, free of charge, for Apple users with this massive roll-out that will culminate in fall 2021.

As per Apple:

Redesigned Weather and Notes Apps

Weather includes more graphical displays of weather data, full-screen maps, and dynamic layouts that change based on conditions. Beautifully redesigned animated backgrounds more accurately reflect the sun’s position and precipitation, and notifications highlight when rain or snow starts and stops. Video animation below:

https://www.apple.com/newsroom/videos/apple-iphone12pro-ios15-weather-app/large_2x.mp4

Notes adds user-created tags that make it easy to quickly categorize notes, and mentions allow members of shared notes to notify one another of important updates. An all-new Activity view shows the recent history of a shared note.

Notes adds user-created tags that make it easy to quickly categorize notes in line with relevant content:

Related Recent Article Links:


Find books on Music, Movies & Entertainment and many other topics at our sister site: Cherrybooks on Bookshop.org

Enjoy Lynxotic at Apple News on your iPhone, iPad or Mac.

Lynxotic may receive a small commission based on any purchases made by following links from this page

Apple Announces New Watch Pride Edition bands and gets Twitter Reactions Across the Board

Above: Photo Credit / Dominique Morgan/ Apple

New Braided Solo Loop & Pride Edition Nike Sport Loop announced via Apple Newsroom

Apple first launched the Apple Watch Pride Edition in 2016. The company’s unique bands have been a visible illustration of the ways in which Apple supports, and is proudly made up of members of the LGBTQ+ community. On on May 17th, 2021, the New Braided Solo Loop and announced with the subheading that it “represents the breadth of LGBTQ+ communities and experiences”.

The reactions on twitter were all over the map, to say the least. Many were sniping about the high price of the special band. Others seems to just be sniping as anti-Apple folks will do, but there were also plenty of defenders of the empire and Tim Cook himself.

Some of the criticism, sad and hilarious at the same time, was from people knocking Tim Cook as a presumably “straight-white-male” and defenders felt the need to remind them in a reply that he himself, is in fact publicly gay, giving him a different perspective on the LGBTQ+ movement and it’s importance overall.

There also seemed to be a lot of confusion over finances. The fact that there were associated donations to charities and pro-LGBTQ+ orgs seemed to be widely misunderstood or not recognized by would-be detractors. Again there were defenders who came to the aid of the reading-impaired:

https://twitter.com/Michael_Perski/status/1394555773552840707?s=20
https://twitter.com/logosaetos/status/1394870113577275393?s=20

Another aspect of the special product launch was the timing: “On International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, and Biphobia (IDAHOBIT), Apple debuts the new Apple Watch Pride Edition band and dynamic watch face, both of which incorporate a broader set of colors inspired by multiple Pride flags that have represented the diverse LGBTQ+ community throughout its rich history.”

In case the explanatory text above was not 100% clear the following is also spelled out in the Apple press release:

Apple donates all the proceeds to International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association (IGLA), The Trevor Project, and LGBT+ youth charity GLSEN.

The 2021 edition of the Apple Watch Pride Edition Braided Solo Loop includes black and brown strips that symbolize Black and Latinx communities, in addition to those who have passed away from or are living with HIV/AIDS.

The light blue, pink, and white stripes represent transgender and nonbinary individuals.

Cook, who in 2014 became the first chief executive of a Fortune 500 company to publicly come out as gay, also added the following:

Black, Brown and transgender activists have always been at the heart of the LGBTQ+ movement. The new Apple Watch Pride Edition Braided Solo Loop honors their legacy and reaffirms Apple’s commitment to support the ongoing work toward equality.

Tim Cook / Twitter

Related Articles:


Find books on Music, Movies & Entertainment and many other topics at our sister site: Cherrybooks on Bookshop.org

Enjoy Lynxotic at Apple News on your iPhone, iPad or Mac.

Lynxotic may receive a small commission based on any purchases made by following links from this page

AirPods Max Out: Journey Into Sound

Video by Apple Showcases Product experience

Released to fanfare just in time for last minute holiday shopping, the AirPods Max headphones are getting attention, not all positive, but one thing’s for certain, they are beautiful to behold. If they sound nearly as sleek and smooth apple may have something going on. Check out the video for more.


Subscribe to our newsletter for all the latest updates directly to your inBox.

Find books on  Big Tech,  Politics, and many other topics at our sister site: Cherrybooks on Bookshop.org

Enjoy Lynxotic at Apple News on your iPhone, iPad or Mac.

Lynxotic may receive a small commission based on any purchases made by following links from this page.

New Apple AirPods Max achieve Beauty sans Noise for a Price

https://youtu.be/FXI_-OesT3A

Bose and Sony have a new competitor in the Noise Cancelling over-the-ear category

In 2020, Apple has released and announced new products and features at an unprecedented rate. In a continuation of that trend, today they added the AirPods Max which feature: “wireless over-ear design with high-fidelity audio, Active Noise Cancellation, spatial audio, and more” according to the official press release. 

As of the day before the announcements the leaks began to be confirmed and speculation of other products faded, as it was clear that December 8th would be the launch announcement for AirPods Max.

Availability begins on December 15th (shipping) and the price is an admittedly hefty $549 (US). 

A big year winds down with many new product details still to be revealed

Although some outlets speculated that other products, or news about upcoming releases would be forthcoming, for that it appears we will still have to wait. The December 15th availability to ship date coincides with last-minute shipping deadlines for Christmas this year which for services such as USPS Priority mail in December 16th.

For that reason it is unlikely that other news, not including unofficial leaks, would will be added. 

With only a single button to adjust the noise cancelling and a Digital Crown (with a nod to the one found on Apple Watch) that controls volume and playback, there is a minimal beauty to the design, which is no surprise considering the price and that these are from Apple. 

There are an assortment of carefully curated colors, and special attention has clearly been paid to the fashion value and aesthetics. At first blush there is even a kind of retro throw-back vibe, as to to envision a 60s socialite boarding PanAm and ready to settle in to the first class cabin.

AirPods Max require Apple devices running iOS 14.3 or later, iPadOS 14.3 or later, macOS Big Sur 11.1 or later, watchOS 7.2 or later, or tvOS 14.3 or later.

Though typically Sleek and doubtlessly Luxurious, some questionable issues have been identified 

The new headphones, the first over-the-ear model by Apple (other than Beats) weigh 13.6 ounces (384 grams), which sounds acceptable, but  compared to other over-ear noise cancelling headphones on the market, it is at the higher end of the range.

Next question: what if you want to use with a cable, rather than wirelessly via bluetooth? On a plane there if seldom, if ever, any way to use with a film via bluetooth, for that reason an input jack or other way to connect with a standard airline connector would be useful. Naturally a third-party adaptor is possible but that not an elegant solution. For example Sony, Bose, and others have solutions for this, but AirPods Max would require a work-around.

If your battery charge is depleted, an alternate way to still at least listen to music is something that may be useful. Of course, the noise cancelling system would require power so this is not something that would be idea anyway, but for those “emergency” situations where you want to use your AirPods Max as basic headphones in a pinch, that would also be a reason to wish for the alternate cabled option. 

If all this sounds a bit nit-picky, that’s what happens with a beautiful and expensive product and lots of scribes out searching for pros and cons to discuss.


Subscribe to our newsletter for all the latest updates directly to your inBox.

Find books on  Big Tech,  Politics, and many other topics at our sister site: Cherrybooks on Bookshop.org

Enjoy Lynxotic at Apple News on your iPhone, iPad or Mac.

Lynxotic may receive a small commission based on any purchases made by following links from this page.

Apple’s Design and Features Video for AirPods Max

A big year winds down with many new product details still to be revealed

Although some outlets speculated that other products releases, or news about upcoming releases would be forthcoming, however, for that it appears we will still have to wait. The December 15th availability to ship date coincides with last-minute shipping deadlines for Christmas this year which for services such as USPS Priority mail in December 16th.

For that reason it is unlikely that other news, not including unofficial leaks, would will be added. 

With only a single button to adjust the noise cancelling and a Digital Crown (with a nod to the one found on Apple Watch) that controls volume and playback, there is a minimal beauty to the design, which is no surprise considering the price and that these are from Apple. 

There are an assortment of carefully curated colors, and special attention has clearly been paid to the fashion value and aesthetics. At first blush there is even a kind of retro throw-back vibe, as to to envision a 60s socialite boarding PanAm and ready to settle in to the first class cabin.

AirPods Max require Apple devices running iOS 14.3 or later, iPadOS 14.3 or later, macOS Big Sur 11.1 or later, watchOS 7.2 or later, or tvOS 14.3 or later.


Subscribe to our newsletter for all the latest updates directly to your inBox.

Find books on  Big Tech,  Politics, and many other topics at our sister site: Cherrybooks on Bookshop.org

Enjoy Lynxotic at Apple News on your iPhone, iPad or Mac.

Lynxotic may receive a small commission based on any purchases made by following links from this page.

Apple’s future product ‘AirTags’ are coming soon – potential reveal for November Silicon event

Photo Collage / Lynxotic

Hints and Leaks are becoming commonplace – this time it’s the features that wow

AirTags have been in development for months now. However, Apple has kept most details on the elusive product under wraps. We expected to hear some specifics on the AirTags at the company’s September and October press events, but although those occasions offered lots of other exciting launches, they remained silent on the Tags.

Read More: Apple iPhone 12 Pro Models are Coming Immediately and There’s More

Only now have two new Apple patents come out for AirTags, featuring illustrations and suggestions about how the devices might work and where they could be useful— The answers might be more expansive than we thought.

In essence, AirTags are exactly what we expected them to be: Apple products akin to a Tiles, which can be placed on any object and thus track it. Intuitively, their primary function is to help users find lost items such as keys, wallets, or phones by sending out a locational signal to Apple devices. Reportedly, these signals will be more precise than any GPS, directing people to within feet of the Tag.

The new patents, however, suggest that the AirTags’ tracking abilities could be useful beyond just recovering everyday items. They could, for example, be attached to emergency equipment like fire extinguishers or defibrillators, helping people find such crucial tools in unfamiliar environments. They could also be used to track people via Apple Watches or the wristbands featured in the patent illustrations. While tracking human beings raises major ethical questions, it could also save lives in the events of kidnappings or missing people.

Read More: Apple debuts ‘Apple One’ – offers mega Bundling service that will compete against the technological hegemony

Beyond such grave alternatives, the patents also suggest more leisurely uses for the AirTags. By attaching them to one’s body, they could serve as advanced gears in augmented reality gaming platforms, or play a role in the new Apple Fitness+ app by monitoring posture and other health matters.

Tags could also be placed in public areas to send signals directly to other Apple devices with useful information such as maps and guides. The patent offers the example of a business placing a Tag at its entrance, ensuring that everyone who enters receives a map of the building.

When Apple delays (as with the MagSafe surprise just announced) good things happen…

As of right now, rumor has it that the AirTags will launch in March 2021, but given their perpetual delays so far and the precarious state of the world during the COVID-19 pandemic, it is hard to say for sure when these devices will really become available. Nevertheless, the latest patents suggest that AirTags are going to be much more than mere Tile replicas. With that in mind, perhaps they will also be more worth the wait.


Check out all our Apple Coverage

Subscribe to our newsletter for all the latest updates directly to your inBox.

Find books on Big TechSustainable EnergyEconomics and many other topics at our sister site: Cherrybooks on Bookshop.org

Enjoy Lynxotic at Apple News on your iPhone, iPad or Mac.

Lynxotic may receive a small commission based on any purchases made by following links from this page.

“Dance” feature coming in Watch OS7 with Fitness App updates

Custom personalization, Face sharing and, yes, Dance…

At WWDC 2020, a first ever Apple virtual special event, the company officially announced the next update to the Apple Watch operating system called watchOS 7, which will have many new changes including custom personalization along with health and fitness features. The update is expected to be available to the public (for free of course) later this year, most likely around September, which is when the iPhone 12 is also anticipated to be released. The WatchOS 7 update has been confirmed to be functional on the Apple Watch versions 3, 4, and 5. Which means if you have the earlier versions like Apple Watch Series 1 or 2 you will not be able to retrieve the update.

One of the features includes big new upgrades to the Workout app which is one of Apple’s most popular and most used apps on the smartwatch, according to internal analytics, presumably. Running, swimming, rowing, cycling and more are some of the current commonly used workouts that can be tracked on the Apple Watch. Now, four completely new workouts will be available – Dance, Core Training, Functional Strength Training and Cool-down which will offer custom-built motion algorithms and heart rate sensors to best track your movements.

See Apple Watch deals on Amazon.

Pre-loaded styles and intelligence can set you free

Dance is set to be added as a total body workout and will have the ability to track movements from a handful of the most popular dance styles that includes Hip Hop, Latin, Bollywood, and Cardio Dance (see video, above). Getting accurate tracking and credit for dancing previously proved challenging since dancing is not always repetitive and rarely has synchronized arm and leg movements like running and walking often do. With the newest update, Apple is using advanced censor fusion that will combine data from the heart rate sensor, accelerometer and gyroscope to get a better full body reading (movements in your arms and legs ) that will generate a more accurate ‘calories burned’ calculations for dance movements.

See Apple Watch deals on Amazon.

The OS7 will also track accurate calories for: Core Training, Functional Strength Training, & Cooldown. Core training where exercise is primarily focused on abs and back. Functional Strength Training is a workout type that helps you get stronger and move better for everyday activity. And Cool-down which can be added onto various workouts is when you want to continue with easy movements and stretches to bring heart rate and breathing back to normal.

Not bad. Sounds like very little new on paper, but if you use the workouts, like I do, these small changes represent more freedom to do what you want, and add a more natural feeling to your routine.

All your workouts can be tracked extensively with tons of precise data within the Activity App which is completely redesigned in the new update. The redesign has a new summary tab system to allows seamless switching between the Activity, Workouts, Awards and Trends views, all within one tab. The Activity App has also received a new moniker – and will be called simply: “Fitness”.

Find books on Big TechSustainable EnergyEconomics and many other topics at our sister site: Cherrybooks on Bookshop.org

Enjoy Lynxotic at Apple News on your iPhone, iPad or Mac and subscribe to our newsletter.

Lynxotic may receive a small commission based on any purchases made by following links from this page.

AirPods Pro will have Spatial Audio and Seamless Switching in iOS 14 update, coming this Fall

https://video-lynxotic.akamaized.net/airpods-Spatial-Audio-Full.mp4
videoclip Showing New Airpods Pro Features Revealed at apple WWDC 2020

A greatly improved audio experience is about to get even better..

Apple announced during the first ever virtual WWDC 2020 event that there will be some significant updates to the AirPods and AirPods Pro that will further enhance the audio experience for the Apple headphone user. The iOS 14 update is expected to be available to the public later this year, most likely around September, which is when the iPhone 12 is also anticipated to be released.  If you practically live with your AirPods in your ears, these two big features will make you happy.

Read More: Tons of Changes in Apple WatchOS 7: “Dance” in Re-named Fitness App at top of list

Seamless Switching coming soon…

Click to See Apple AirPods Pro

Another small but appreciated update will offer a battery status update, which will notify users when it is time to charge your headphones.  No more totally dead AirPods – hooray! Click here to see Apple Watch deals on Amazon.

AirPods are currently pretty simple and easy to pair to any Apple device, just open the battery case near your iPhone and done. With the new update, the pairing will be even easier, with the new feature called “Seamless Switching”, this is where you will be able to switch between your different Apple devices (iPhone, iPad, Mac or Apple Watch) without having to manually switch or connect. For example if you have your AirPods connected to your iPad while watching a TV show, but during that time you get a phone call on your iPhone, your AirPods will know and automatically switch accordingly, then can switch back to your iPad. This is major if you have multiple Apple devices. The Seamless Switching feature will work with AirPods Pro, AirPods (2nd generation), Powerbeats, Powerbeats Pro, and Beats Solo Pro. In order for the feature to work you will have to have an active iCloud account.

https://www.apple.com/105/media/us/airpods-pro/2019/1299e2f5_9206_4470_b28e_08307a42f19b/films/product/airpods-pro-product-tpl-cc-us-2019_1920x1080h.mp4
Apple Promo Video for Air Pods Pro

Spatial Audio is a Huge New feature for APP

Spatial Audio is another major feature that will be available on AirPods Pro as part of the iOS 14 update which is set to be released in the fall. Unfortunately Spatial Audio will not be available for regular AirPods but for the Air Pods Pro exclusively. The feature creates an immersive surround-sound experience much like that of being in the movie theaters.

How are they able to create theater-like surround sound? Apple will be utilizing data from the AirPods Pro accelerometer and gyroscope to detect any movement from both headphone and device. This means that the sounds will stay consistent and in sync and allow the sound to come from all angles: left, right, front, back, and even above, mimicking what happens when you move your head while sitting in the movie theater. If you are watching a movie and you turn your head with your Pros on, the audio perspective will adjust to your movement maintaining the illusion of “place” and creating a strong sense of directionality. If you accidentally move the device, such as an iPad, on which you are viewing film, the movement will be detected and, again, the source directionality of the sound will automatically adjust accordingly.

Read More: Apple TV+ Goes Big in Series Adaptation of Isaac Asimov’s “Foundation” Trilogy

AirPods Pro and tvOS 14

See Apple TV 4k on Amazon

Apple will also be updating the audio sharing features on AirPods’ with Apple TV to allow two users to watch a TV show or a movie together. The sharing capabilities will require the new tvOS update – tvOS 14.  With all original televisions shows, new monthly additions, and new originals coming in the future, streaming using Apple TV with a partner will make the experience sweeter and more in sync.

In addition to the upcoming new features, Apple also has a new AirPods Pro firmware available which should automatically download. The previous version, 2D15 will be replaced with the newest version 2D27 and marks the 4th update since the AirPods Pro launch. If you are curious what version of firmware your device currently is set to, go to the Settings App on your iPhone, select General, then About, then AirPods Pro.


Check out all Lynxotic Apple Coverage

Subscribe to our newsletter for all the latest updates directly to your inBox.

Find books on Big TechSustainable EnergyEconomics and many other topics at our sister site: Cherrybooks on Bookshop.org

Enjoy Lynxotic at Apple News on your iPhone, iPad or Mac.

Lynxotic may receive a small commission based on any purchases made by following links from this page.